TotalEnergies and Duke Energy have secured seabed leases in the Carolina Long Bay lease auction after pledging to spend a combined $315m in fees.
The French developer secured the western 55,937-acre zone for $160m following 18 rounds of bidding.
Duke meanwhile landed the eastern 55,154-acre site for $155m, marking its entry into offshore wind.
Both zones collectively can support up to 1.3GW of power, according to BOEM, although the final capacity may be higher.
Before the leases are finalised, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission will conduct an anti-competitiveness review of the auction, and the provisional winners will be required to pay any balance on the winning bids and provide financial assurance to BOEM.
The Carolina Long Bay offshore wind auction included a new 20 percent credit for bidders that committed to a monetary contribution to programs or initiatives that support workforce training programs for the offshore wind industry, development of a domestic supply chain or both. This credit will result in $42 million for these critical programs or initiatives.
“This auction puts real dollars on the table to support economic growth from offshore wind energy development – including the jobs that come with it,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton.
“The new bidding credit in the Carolina Long Bay auction will result in tangible investments for workforce training and businesses in the United States, to ultimately create jobs in the U.S. across the industries needed to support achieving our offshore wind goals.”
Business Network for Offshore Wind CEO Liz Burdock said: “Today, America’s offshore wind industry and its supply chain took another significant step forward step with the successful Wilmington East lease auction.
“For the first time, the federal government used an auction system designed to spark investment directly into U.S. manufacturers, small businesses, shipbuilders and new workforce training, accelerating development of the already-emerging domestic supply chain.
“Today’s lease sale continues the momentum toward a sustainable U.S. offshore wind market, opening the door further to North Carolina’s rich manufacturing sector, and unlocking the full potential of the U.S. supply chain that will create tens of thousands of jobs in manufacturing centers and coastal towns alike.”